To ARB or not to ARB that is the question

[tbar]

Front diff. went out on my truck .
2001 tacoma v6 manual trans. 4 inch lift 4.88's
trying to decide whether or not to put front air lockers in , since the front end is already tore down.
might have east coast gears send me a 3rd already put together.

 

[Applejack]

Why not? That is the question. If you would use it do it.
If it were me I surely would.

 

[oxi]

Front diff. went out on my truck .
2001 tacoma v6 manual trans. 4 inch lift 4.88's
trying to decide whether or not to put front air lockers in , since the front end is already tore down.
might have east coast gears send me a 3rd already put together.

It probably went out because you were running 4.88's right?

I switched my rear end on my old 86 Toyota from factory 4.10's to 5.29's with 35" tires and they lasted barely 2 desert races.

Lesson learned when you switch gears like I did with the 5.29's, the first thing I noticed was the much smaller pinion which I concluded led to my failure because a few teeth went missing on the ring.

If the factory puts it in, I would leave it unless you are modding the crap out of it. With my new Tacoma I will leave the 4.10's on with 33" tires.

By the way go with ARB front, I am planning that for Phase III to help the rear limited slip. Could have used a front locker on my first outing.

 

[Mr. Leary]

Do it... do it!

 

[alexrex20]

It probably went out because you were running 4.88's right?

I switched my rear end on my old 86 Toyota from factory 4.10's to 5.29's with 35" tires and they lasted barely 2 desert races.

Lesson learned when you switch gears like I did with the 5.29's, the first thing I noticed was the much smaller pinion which I concluded led to my failure because a few teeth went missing on the ring.

If the factory puts it in, I would leave it unless you are modding the crap out of it. With my new Tacoma I will leave the 4.10's on with 33" tires.

By the way go with ARB front, I am planning that for Phase III to help the rear limited slip. Could have used a front locker on my first outing.

I would blame the install, not the gears.

 

[rusty_tlc]

ARB lockers on in the top ten of best investments I ever made in one of my trucks.

 

[sasaholic]

It probably went out because you were running 4.88's right?

I switched my rear end on my old 86 Toyota from factory 4.10's to 5.29's with 35" tires and they lasted barely 2 desert races.

Lesson learned when you switch gears like I did with the 5.29's, the first thing I noticed was the much smaller pinion which I concluded led to my failure because a few teeth went missing on the ring.

If the factory puts it in, I would leave it unless you are modding the crap out of it. With my new Tacoma I will leave the 4.10's on with 33" tires.

By the way go with ARB front, I am planning that for Phase III to help the rear limited slip. Could have used a front locker on my first outing.

like stated its no the gears fault is was the installer. ive seen more diffs break that were stock than i have with aftermarket and the aftermarkets are always getting pounded on. i blew up my rear diff and guess what broke first taking everything with it......the STOCK pin. your logic of leave it stock sucks and will lead to more failures for u. ur putting way more strain on your tranny by running bigger tires and stock gearings, so its up to you regear and have a 5 year warranty with ecgs or abuse your tranny.

 

[dwh]

I've had this argument so many times...okay, I'll don my flameproof suit and go for it one more time....

I installed an ARB air locker on one of my trucks when they first came out. I broke a couple of front axles before I took it out and sold it.

The problem, as I see it, is that when engaged, the air locker turns the diff into a spool. Spools can break axles.

Say you crawl the left front tire up on a big rock, then when you continue forward and the tire rolls down off that rock, that tire NEEDS to turn MORE than the right tire. With a spool it can't and something has to give. Bing bang boom - broken axle. You can get around that by locking the spool for the climb up, then unlocking for the roll down, but that's a PITA.

Spools have their uses, especially for racing. I don't like them for normal wheeling. I like limited slips and mechanical lockers. Give me front and rear Detroits and I'm a happy crawler.

 

[TangoBlue]

like stated its no the gears fault is was the installer. ive seen more diffs break that were stock than i have with aftermarket and the aftermarkets are always getting pounded on. i blew up my rear diff and guess what broke first taking everything with it......the STOCK pin. your logic of leave it stock sucks and will lead to more failures for u. ur putting way more strain on your tranny by running bigger tires and stock gearings, so its up to you regear and have a 5 year warranty with ecgs or abuse your tranny.

Agreed.

 

[TangoBlue]

I've had this argument so many times...okay, I'll don my flameproof suit and go for it one more time....

I installed an ARB air locker on one of my trucks when they first came out. I broke a couple of front axles before I took it out and sold it.

The problem, as I see it, is that when engaged, the air locker turns the diff into a spool. Spools can break axles.

Say you crawl the left front tire up on a big rock, then when you continue forward and the tire rolls down off that rock, that tire NEEDS to turn MORE than the right tire. With a spool it can't and something has to give. Bing bang boom - broken axle. You can get around that by locking the spool for the climb up, then unlocking for the roll down, but that's a PITA.

Spools have their uses, especially for racing. I don't like them for normal wheeling. I like limited slips and mechanical lockers. Give me front and rear Detroits and I'm a happy crawler.

That's my observation, too. I like the ARB and of course use them for my solid axles but would not do it for IFS for the reasons you cite above. Stock IFS just isn't strong enough to take the stress of being locked. Add suspension lift, weight, larger tires and it's a recipe for disaster.

If you do it, be very careful and observe the precautions noted above and carry spare axles and tools to perform a halfshaft swap in the field.

 

[alexrex20]

Locked IFS is just fine, as long as you know when to lock and unlock. I'd rather be front-locked 5% of the time, rather than never at all.

 

[jesusgatos]

Why not?

I installed an ARB air locker on one of my trucks when they first came out. I broke a couple of front axles before I took it out and sold it.

Exactly. 7.5" ring gear and 27-spline inner CV's. Blown-up too many CV's with an open diff. Decided not to put an any type of locker or limited slip in the frontend of my Tacoma. But I'm looking into swapping a 2nd gen 8" 30-spline tacoma front diff, but we'll see how that works out...

 

[4307]

That's my observation, too. I like the ARB and of course use them for my solid axles but would not do it for IFS for the reasons you cite above. Stock IFS just isn't strong enough to take the stress of being locked. Add suspension lift, weight, larger tires and it's a recipe for disaster.

If you do it, be very careful and observe the precautions noted above and carry spare axles and tools to perform a halfshaft swap in the field.

x2, my main reason for building a D44 + manual hubs.
Replacing half shafts grows old fast.
If you add the ARB, Id also do a manual hub conversion.

Reason:

"ARB recommends installing manual hubs when using their Air Locking Differential in the Toyota Tacoma
ADD front axle. With an ARB locker and ADD, an accidental engagement of the Air Locker while driving could potentially cause extensive damage to the ring and pinion, CV joints, or the locker itself."

 

[oxi]

I would blame the install, not the gears.

The Richmond 5.29 pinion was almost half the size of the factory 4.10's...

 

[oxi]

I've had this argument so many times...okay, I'll don my flameproof suit and go for it one more time....

I installed an ARB air locker on one of my trucks when they first came out. I broke a couple of front axles before I took it out and sold it.

The problem, as I see it, is that when engaged, the air locker turns the diff into a spool. Spools can break axles.

Say you crawl the left front tire up on a big rock, then when you continue forward and the tire rolls down off that rock, that tire NEEDS to turn MORE than the right tire. With a spool it can't and something has to give. Bing bang boom - broken axle. You can get around that by locking the spool for the climb up, then unlocking for the roll down, but that's a PITA.

Spools have their uses, especially for racing. I don't like them for normal wheeling. I like limited slips and mechanical lockers. Give me front and rear Detroits and I'm a happy crawler.

What Detroit lockers would work with a 2010 Tacoma front and maybe rear?